The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-12-21
TRAPPING THE GRIZZLY.
More Dangerous Than Hunting Him
With Rifle.
Greater Cunning and Skill Required to
Keep Out Of His Way Than to
Get Sight of Him-A
Demon Incarnate.

Benjamin Read, who left the Lycom.
ing County woods nearly forty years
ago for the West. ard for nearly all
that time has lived among the Rocky
Mountains, trapping and hunting and
fighting Indians, recently returned to
his old home OH Pine creek, on visit,
and has been making the old bear hunt
ers of that region feel their insignii-
canoe by his stories of life among the
buffaloes and grizzly bears. The Penn
syIvania bear hunters look upon the
hunting and trapping of the black bear
as about the greatest tests of wood
mans courage and endurance to which
he can be put. After listening to the
veteran Reads description of grizzly
bear trapping the hunters in the Pine
creek region, at least, have changed
their mind as to the claim q black-bear
hunter has to having all the pluck and
nerve there are
THE grizzly BEAR" says Trapper
Rad. "next to the Indian, is the ugli-
est customer that the hunter, miner or
prospector has to deal with. You
don't have to depend on your cunning
as hunter to insure yourself the sight
of one. for they are neither modest nor
scarce about putting themselves in
your way. As general thing. if the
hunter isn't experienced. it will re-
quire more cunning and skill for him
TO get out of the sight of grizzly than
it will for him to come in sight of one.
Since went 10 the Rockies the Indian
has been greatly awed and tanned
down, but the advance of civilization
has not added one iota of sweetness to
the grizzly bears temper or tended to
dull his claws or loosen his teeth.
LAS far as danger is concerned,
believe there is more in trapping the
grizzly than there is in chasing hi
with rifle. Our traps are ponderous
iron implements, as heavy as three of
your black-bear traps, and with jaws
so stiff that it requires two men using
lever to force them open so they can
be set. We attach Il strong chain to the
trap the same as you do for the play
things you call bear traps here in the
East. but our chains are strong enough
for log chains. At the other end of the
chain is attached an iron ring or band
six or eight inches in diameter. This
is forced. by pounding it with maui.
over the end of a log six feet long and
big enough around to make the iron
band fit so tightly that it can t
be pulled off When a grizzly steps
on the pan of one of these great traps
and the stiff jaws close on his leg, the
heavy log serves as hindrance to
him as he drags it along by the chain
on his retreat to his haunts in the
tangled thickets he favors A great
deal of cunning has to be used in set
ting trap for a grizzly bear, for he is
almost as suspicious as the fox, and
will frequently desert what has the
appearance Of good meal if he makes
up his mind that danger is lurking
near. He never hesitates to risk dam
ger that he may see positively con-
fronting or challenging him. in the
way OF hunter, dog or any thing else,
but suspicious-looking object. the
nature of which he can not under
stand, is enough to start him off about
his business and to keep him moving
until he has placed a good extent Of
territory between him and the mystic
rious cause of his fear.
"And what do you suppose is the
favorite food of this fierce and hulkine
monstere Ground mice, moles, grubs
and crickets. What do you think of a
great bloodthirsty beast, weighing
twelve hundred pounds hunting and
devouring such Insignificant things as
these? Yet a grizzly bear will do that
all day long. Once trapped for sew
eral days for big grizzly that was
prowling about mining camp where
Twas staying, but failed in every at
tempt l made to lead the willy beast
into my steel. was about to give
him up as bad job when l heard a
ground mouse squealing near where
the trap was set and l made up my
mind TO give the bear one trial with
few of these little chaps as lures.
After a long and tedious search l
caught dozen mice. and, covering
up my trap carelessly with some dead
branches, tied half a dozen of the
mice by strings to pegs in the ground
around the trap When / visited the
spot an hour or so later found Mr..
Grizzly fast. with both of his paws in
the trap. Tho mice had overcome his